The global political system is going through a period of great uncertainty, as the rules and policies established after the Second World War have been delegitimised by the opposition of a growing number of states. Many therefore speak of a period of transition in the world order and wonder whether the current transition will take the form of those of the past, which ended in a world war. Given the global changes and innovations in world politics since the end of the Second World War, it is very likely that the course of the current transition will have its own characteristics. In this perspective, the elements to watch - such as coalitions of states and the strategic narratives proposed by states claiming to represent coalitions - are identified in order to anticipate developments in the confrontation between states that want to preserve the current order and states that want profound change.
